Instagram just took advantage of Amazon’s biggest weakness

Instagram took a big step on Tuesday in its evolution into an online shopping destination, and for once, Amazon finds itself looking up from a position of weakness.

Instagram announced that users of the photo-sharing app will for the first time be able to start making purchases of some products directly within the app, capping off the social network’s multi-year flirtation with becoming a real player in online shopping. Big-name retailers like Nike and Zara, as well as younger brands like Outdoor Voices and Warby Parker, are among the 20-plus companies participating in the initial rollout.

Instagram has already proven to be a platform — thanks in large part to its visual nature — where the best consumer brands can do what they do best: get new people to discover their products and inspire shoppers to covet their wares.